Senators Mike Lee and Rand Paul and Representatives Louie Gohmert and Jim Jordan also spoke at the event.The Politico reported:

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz told tea party activists on Thursday that he is “filled with the promise that we’re going to turn this country around” after legislative fights over drones, guns and Obamacare last year.

The freshman Republican received a hero’s welcome at a Tea Party Patriots-hosted fifth anniversary event for the movement in Washington, where he discussed the three issues.

“If you listen to the media, if you listen to Democrats — although I repeat myself — they will say the fight to stop Obamacare did not succeed,” said Cruz, who pushed to defund the president’s signature health care law in a fight that led to a government shutdown last fall.

“Really?” Cruz said. “Well, I’m a big believer the proof is in the pudding. Last fall, millions of Americans rose up and said, ‘Stop the disaster that is Obamacare.’ … We elevated the national debate of the incredible harms Obamacare is visiting on millions of Americans.”

Republicans’ poll numbers suffered after the shutdown, but the health care law is still poised to be one of the central issues in this year’s midterm elections. Republicans must net six seats to take back control of the Senate.